


Comfort and Companionship

by grainjew



Category: Naruto
Genre: Gen, I adore all the Tailed Beasts I love Kurama so much, I love their friendship....., Kurama is a grumpy asshole uncle-friend and Naruto is a little ball of sunshine, also I've been testing different pronouns for kurama so this one uses it/its, guys these two are so good, they balance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-10
Updated: 2017-06-10
Packaged: 2018-11-12 13:39:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,017
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11162967
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/grainjew/pseuds/grainjew
Summary: A conversation between Naruto and Kurama, or, Naruto refuses to admit he's really short"How did you--"Kurama snorts, but softly enough that Naruto doesn't fall off. The kid is trusting Kurama, and the bare fact is that Kurama still isn’t used to that at all, still marvels at every show of it. "Icansense negative emotions, you know."





	Comfort and Companionship

Trying to nap in Naruto’s mindscape is always a trade-off. Sure, it’s quiet, but it’s also _wet_. Kurama wonders occasionally if Kushina and the Fourth Hokage had known about how much Kurama liked fire and did not like getting drenched, or if it was just that Naruto’s childhood had influenced his mental state enough to create a dreary place like this. In either case, Kurama had long-ago decided that the whole situation was undeniably Kushina and the Fourth Hokage’s fault.

The only upside of not being literally on fire like Matatabi is that she would have an even worse time in this mindscape than Kurama. The entire room would be constantly filled with steam. Kurama has no intention of becoming Kokuo, ever.

"Kurama?" it hears Naruto ask.

It had felt more than heard him come in, a small mass of melancholy suddenly less than half a thought away, padding over on top of the mindscape's water. It opens an eye.

"I was trying to nap," it says, in token protest. It has an image to keep up, thanks. Or to rebuild, at any rate.

"Sorry," says Naruto.

"Eh," says Kurama. It lets Naruto climb up its fur — he is small enough that his grip isn’t more obnoxious than a fly or two — and flop down spread-eagle on top of its head. Screw image. "What's wrong?"

"How did you--"

Kurama snorts, but softly enough that Naruto doesn't fall off. The kid is trusting Kurama, and the bare fact is that Kurama still isn’t used to that at all, still marvels at every show of it. "I _can_ sense negative emotions, you know."

"Right," says Naruto. He sighs, stretches out his arms.

"So?" asks Kurama. It doesn't claim to be the best at emotions, but it's best to get this stuff over early, right? Like killing the guy trying to seal you instead of playing around and letting them finish writing the seal for your trouble. Isobu probably disagrees, but Isobu isn't one of the two who didn't get extracted by the Akatsuki, so Isobu doesn't get an opinion.

"Mm," hums Naruto. It echoes in the sewer-mindscape, reverberating. "I've just been thinking about the other jinchuuriki." _Ah_. "If you guys had been treated better, if we'd been treated better, if we'd treated you guys better... instead of as weapons that could backfire on the user, if they’d thought we all had feelings.” He stops for a moment. “I wish I’d befriended you earlier, Kurama." It can hear the soft plaintiveness, the regret in his tone, feel it sprinkle onto its fur like rain.

"The past is the past," says Kurama, then backtracks to wonder if those words had actually come out of its mouth.

Naruto is equally confused. Kurama can feel it radiating from him into the dark beyonds of the mindscape. "You? The best at grudge-holding on the continent?"

"Don't compare me to the Uchiha," retorts Kurama.

Naruto snickers a laugh. "Well, now that you mention it..."

"Don't you _dare_ , little human," says Kurama. It flexes a claw, hears it scrape against rocky ground.

Naruto is unfortunately unintimidated. "I am not little!" he says back, still flopped on Kurama's head.

"You are lying on my head," says Kurama. "That makes you small."

Kurama can just about picture Naruto's pout. "You're a Tailed Beast, doesn't count!"

"And you're the same height as your mother."

"Shut up," whines Naruto. He radiates noticeably less sadness — it has been replaced with the kind of irritation so fond it barely touches Kurama's senses.

"We've all made our choices," says Kurama. What was it it'd been thinking earlier about killing the bad guys quickly? Well, it wasn't its fault Naruto had decided to compare it to an Uchiha. "No use moping about might-have-beens."

"I guess," says Naruto. "Still..."

"You're the best jinchuuriki I've ever had," says Kurama, hoping Naruto won't take that as an insult to his mother. The things it does for this boy! "And you've done so much for the world, too. For peace. Just keep doing what you're doing, Naruto. You can't change the past, but you're already changing the future."

"Oh,” says Naruto. “Thanks, Kurama." His voice is quiet, oddly, genuinely grateful. "You're the best partner a jinchuuriki could ever have, ya know."

"Of course I am," says Kurama. "I'm the great and powerful Nine-Tails."

"Your ego could use some work, though," he says dryly. He slides down Kurama's side, landing with a splash in the sewer water.

"My ego is perfectly fine," says Kurama back. "You're the one who was boasting about being Hokage before you even made genin."

"And your point is, o 'mightiest of the bijuu?'" He makes quote signs with his fingers, all friendly mockery. Kurama would never admit it to anyone, but it delights in this.

It sniffs, but doesn't answer. "Your mindscape is gross, by the way," it says instead, a clumsy change of subject.

Naruto takes the bait anyways and wrinkles his nose. "Yeah, it kinda is. Sorry you have to live in this mess." He comes to stand in front of Kurama, water-walking again on the rust-tinted water, and tilts his head to the side. "Maybe I could get a Yamanaka in to clean it up?"

"Clean up your own messes, kid," says Kurama.

Naruto sticks his tongue out at it, childishly. "You're the worst."

"Do _you_ want a party in your head?" asks Kurama. "There's already two of us, add a third and it starts getting crowded. Especially those Yamanaka with their invasive jutsu."

"Eh, point I guess," says Naruto. “Ino’s pretty nice though, I’m sure she’d be fine.”

"Of course it's a good point," says Kurama, ignoring the other half of the sentence. "I made it."

"See what I said about your ego?" Naruto asks, grinning cheekily.

"Shut it," it grumbles.

Naruto grins at it some more, then sighs. "Well... seeya, Kurama. I think Kakashi-sensei's trying to talk to me. And," he nods, "thanks again."

"No problem, tiny human," says Kurama. Naruto flickers out, unceremoniously, and Kurama settles back to trying to nap.

It doesn't quite realize, but it's smiling.

**Author's Note:**

> Listen I love the Tailed Beasts and the Jinchuuriki so much okay


End file.
